When a Tornado Meets a Volcano
by Tunnel-Visionary
Summary: Olivia is thrown for a loop when Elliot's rage boils over and he unleashes it on her, something he's never done before. Hurt and angry, Olivia shows a side of herself that she's never allowed anyone to see.
1. A Steel Knife In My Windpipe

**When a Tornado Meets a Volcano**

Disclaimer: I do not own any Law and Order stuffs. (Shame, I know.) I also do not own any lyrics to 'Love the Way You Lie' By Eminem ft. Rihanna, which the title of this fic and all of it's chapters are composed of.

**Introduction: A Steel Knife in My Windpipe**

The honorable Judge Elizabeth Donnelly sat quietly on the bench as the twelve jurors of a particularly difficult case shuffled back into the courtroom, their deliberations having just concluded. She was nervous, though her face didn't show it. Nervous for many reasons, too, but mostly nervous for the two prominent detectives who sat among the other observers, watching in anticipation almost as great as her own, as the deciders of a man's fate began to reclaim their seats. She knew the pressure they were under, and was trying desperately not to feel for the two of whom she'd become rather fond. With each of the jury members appropriately stationed in their box, Donnelly quietly cleared her voice and directed her attention to the presiding juror who stood before her court.

"Mr. Ackerman," She began in her collected voice, the voice she used sparingly, as it was the voice that she used when attempting to cover her unease. "Has the jury reached a verdict?"

The middle-aged man with the receding hairline and thin, wire-framed glasses nodded solemnly, giving Elliot a twinge of hope that maybe, just maybe, the jury had swung their way. His partner shot him a sidelong glance as he gulped softly but audibly at Ackerman's response of, "We have, your Honor."

After it was placed in her hand, Donnelly tore open the folded piece of paper that held within it the verdict, scanning it briefly before looking back to the twelve jurors before her. Her eyes flickered briefly to the two detectives present in the courtroom, a gesture that they and their friend Alex could only hope was a good sign as the judge continued on, "In the case of the people versus Franklin Hartford, docket ending 534, on the count of aggravated sexual assault how find you?"

Ackerman lightly licked his lips, looking over at Hartford as he read, "We find the defendant not guilty."

Elliot's heart sank into the pit of his stomach. "They'll get him… They have to…" He assured himself, looking passed Olivia's concerned gaze as the rest of the sentencing unveiled itself.

"And on the count of sexual misconduct against a child, how find you?"

"We find the defendant… not guilty."

With a quick sigh and a raised eyebrow towards her young friend and prosecuting ADA Alex Cabot, Judge Donnelly nodded and excused the jury, thanking them for their time before turning to Hartford. "You're excused as well, Mr. Hartford."

The small, pointy-faced man smirked as he stood and reached for his lawyer's congratulatory hand. As he offered his thanks for a job well done he seemed preoccupied, his gaze directed not at his attorney, but at detectives Benson and Stabler. Hartford's smirk softened to a light smile as he made his way towards them, brushing past Alex and extending his hand to Elliot, "It was fun, detective. I know you tried really hard, but sometimes you just… you just get the wrong guy, don't you?"

"I get the wrong guy?" Elliot scoffed, face reddening with anger as he stood to his full height and towered over the scum standing before him. His eyes burned as he brushed his dry tongue over his equally dry lips, his barely controllable rage seeping out through every pore of his skin. "Let's get something straight, asswipe, I didn't get the wrong guy. I know exactly what you did, you lying sack of shit and you know as well as I do I'll get your ass locked up."

"Harsh words, detective Stabler… And unfounded words at that. What with double jeopardy in place, how do you expect to ever 'get my ass locked up'? You seemed to have a really difficult time with that in this little… incident."

In a flash Elliot's hands were gripping Hartford's shirt and the court officers were descending upon them. Donnelly ordered for both Stabler and Hartford to be escorted out of her courtroom, and Olivia yanked Elliot away from the small, cowering man before the often over-zealous officers had the chance.

"Elliot, let's go." She whispered, giving Alex a pained look as she pulled her partner towards the door. "I'll talk to you later, Alex."

Her friend snapped her briefcase shut and nodded with a look that could have been sadness, but knowing Alex was more likely disappointment, as Elliot ripped his arm away from Olivia and shrugged his shoulders in an attempt to adjust his shirt, never taking his eyes off of Hartford. A growl escaped him as he grabbed up his blazer and stormed towards the door, too angry to bother waiting for Olivia to catch up with him.

**\/\/\/**

A/N: I've never written a Law and Order fic before, and I'm actually kind of surprised my first one is a Bensler (I'm usually just the big ol' Bobby/Alex type).

Anyway, I hope you enjoy this, I'm doing my best to make sure all the legal jargon is correct, and if it isn't and you notice this please let me know. So far I've just been watching the episodes that I remember going to court in hopes of recreating something that's almost appropriate .

Reviews and constructive criticism is always appreciated :]


	2. Stand There and Watch Me Burn

**When a Tornado Meets a Volcano**

_Disclaimer:_ I do not own any Law and Order stuff. (Shame, I know.) I also do not own any lyrics to 'Love the Way You Lie' By Eminem ft. Rihanna, which the title of this fic and all of it's chapters are composed of.

I also thank everyone for their kind reviews thus far, I hope to continue entertaining all of you.

* * *

**Chapter One: Stand There and Watch Me Burn**

…_Elliot ripped his arm away from Olivia and shrugged his shoulders in an attempt to adjust his shirt, never taking his eyes off of Hartford. A growl escaped him as he grabbed up his blazer and stormed towards the door, too angry to bother waiting for Olivia to catch up with him._

"Elliot!" She cried, pushing her way past the throng of fervent reporters eagerly awaiting Frankie Hartford's exit of the courthouse, hoping to badger him into a nice little quip for tomorrow's headlines. "Elliot, I swear to God, stop!"

Her partner turned to her from the bottom of the stairs, his hardened glare so typical of him as of late that it hardly fazed her. Saddened her, yes, it did, but by now she was so use to being disheartened that she could brush it off with what others would consider alarming ease. She finally caught up to where he stood, waiting impatiently for her, pausing a moment to catch her breath before placing her hands at her hips and staring up at him with an expression that he knew was reserved only for him. "Elliot… What the hell?"

"Olivia, because of me that freak is walking. What the hell do you think? I'm pissed. God, I'm just- I'm so pissed." He sighed and brought a hand up to his head, lightly rubbing at the headache forming in his temples as he contemplated the previous events. His eyes closed tightly as he tried to get the image of that little girl out of his mind, that tiny little thing with tears in her eyes as she choked out her story to him, her brutal attack replaying in his mind. The sound of her asking; no, her pleading with him to protect her kept humming in his ears. He sighed. His head throbbed. This… This atrocity of Hartford just getting away from it on top of everything else was seriously starting to wear him down, and though he thought he was doing well in concealing his heartache, his exhaustion hadn't gone unnoticed.

"Elliot…" Olivia lightly reached out and touched his shoulder, bringing him back down to Earth. "Elliot, this isn't just about what happened today, is it? You haven't been yourself-"

Shrugging his shoulders and brushing her hand away he cut her off, an icy stare directed her way. "It's none of your business, Benson."

"Benson? S'been a long time since you called me that." She scoffed as he turned and started off down the sidewalk. Olivia sighed softly and jogged after him, reaching out for his arm as she caught up to him, "Elliot, come on. I'm your partner. Hell, I'm your friend, the least you can do is talk to me. Was it something I did? Was it the case, I mean, I know it got to you, but I swear, El, you've been-"

It was only really a second, but it seemed like forever as he turned and shoved her away from him. "Olivia. Stop. Please, I don't want to talk. I'm just going to go, all right? Is that ok with you?"

Olivia bit at her lip softly, a tad shocked that he has pushed her away from him, not to mention feeling overwhelmed with other feelings that she couldn't really describe and possibly couldn't even identify. He always told her what was wrong, he was honest with her and she with him. Her concern for him decided for her that she shouldn't let him walk back to the precinct to sulk for hours, at the very least.

"Ok. Yeah. I'm sorry. Let me at least give you a lift, ok?"

"I don't want one. I want to be alone, Liv, so just… you know, just let me be alone."

"Elliot, I… I don't think you should be."

Her partner turned to her slowly, the look of hurt flashing across his face only briefly before his stone cold mask reattached itself. "Do you think I'm going to do something stupid, Olivia?"

"No, well… Elliot, I just think you should talk about what happened in there. I'm pissed too, you know. Maybe I could use the conversation and the company."

Elliot nodded solemnly and looked at the ground again. "Fine. Fine, I'll go with you. Only because you need to talk though, so don't expect anything out of me, all right?"

Her spirits lifted slightly, the unease she had felt slowly dissolving as she too gave a light nod. She ran a hand through her hair before motioning in the direction of her car, parked around the corner from the courthouse. "Ok. Ok good. Come on… I'll take you home."

"Not home." He replied shortly, following after her. She threw him a look over her shoulder as he shoved his hands in his coat pockets, meeting her gaze with a frown. "Can't go home."

"What, the little one giving you a rough time, old man?" She replied with a half hearted, nervous laugh in her voice and a small grin on her face.

"I wish." Elliot paused. "Kathy left me."

Olivia stopped short and stared after him as he walked on past her, mouth agape as she tried to formulate a cognitive sentence expressing her dismay and sadness for him. "But- wait, Why- No, what do you mean? I-I thought you two had worked it out?"

"Yeah, well, I did too. Apparently things aren't going to work out as well as we had hoped." He sighed and turned to give her a tired look. "As well as I had hoped anyway. Look… I don't want to talk about this here, ok? Let's go."

She nodded and slowly walked toward him, looking up at him hesitantly when she reached him but continued on, without pausing, towards her car. Elliot returned her gaze, if only for a moment, before averting his eyes as he walked along with her, side by side.

* * *

A/N: Gah, I kinda hate this, I often hate the beginning of my stories, but I apologize for this. Also, I know it's short, but I didn't want to thicken it out too quickly D: The next chapters will be longer, I promise. :]


	3. Next Time, There Won't Be a Next Time

**When a Tornado Meets a Volcano**

_Disclaimer:_ I think I covered everything I don't own already, right? Well, I'll add another disclaimer that this and later chapters may involve some heavier language than the last few. Do enjoy ;]

Again I'd like to shout out to all who have reviewed! You encourage me to continue writing :]

**Chapter Two: Next Time, There Won't Be a Next Time**

…**Three weeks earlier…**

_ "Get out! Just get out! I swear to God, I can't take this anymore!"_

_ "But I've done nothing wrong! NOTHING! I've tried to fix this! I've done everything I can to fucking be everything you need me to be, to be there for you, for us, I tried my best-"_

_ "But you didn't! I swear you didn't! You act as though this is all obscure to you; like life is something you have to think about, something you have to concentrate on in order to live it! Like you have to think twice to remember that we exist!"_

_

* * *

_

His temples were pounding. He'd been tracking this guy for days, and on little sleep and a lot of stress to top it all off. Here he sat, at his desk, overturning file after file, going through drawer after drawer, over and over again. It had to be here. This was all that they needed to put this guy away. Wait, what was it again? Ugh, fuck, yeah, that's what it was, now -where- was it?

* * *

_"You just don't understand what I go through, the things I see-"_

_ "You've never let me! You've never even tried to! Why not? Do you not trust me? Why can't you let me understand it?"_

_ "Because it isn't something you should understand. I'm trying to protect you-"_

_ "You're trying to push me away! You HAVE pushed me away…"_

_

* * *

_

"Elliot!" Alex called as she walked, no, stormed into the precinct, and even though his back was to her he could feel her fuming, anger and irritation rolling off of her like tidal waves. And he felt the pounding in his temples slowly spread to just above his eyes, and he closed them, sighing and praying for relief in the form of Olivia rescuing him from a verbal beating from the furious ADA.

Of course, he had no such luck.

Alex loomed over him, fists pressed flat against the desktop, knuckles white. "You do realize that our perp is going to walk, right?"

"He's not gonna walk, Alex, the grand jury indicted him with only witness testimony."

"Yes, and the promise of more substantial evidence is what got us this far in the first place, Elliot! You told me you had indisputable, incriminating evidence that happens to not be circumstantial, which I really, REALLY need right now.**_"_**

"We. Do." The irritated man growled, looking up at her from under his furrowed brows. And again he felt the pounding, now circling around to the base of his head, right where his neck met his skull.

"Then where is it!"

* * *

_"I don't... I didn't mean to. I wanted to keep you all safe."_

_ "But you haven't… You come home and you aren't even here. You're a shell. We don't know you, you don't know us."_

_

* * *

_

"I don't know, all right? I don't know. I'm looking for it, I swear to God I had it and I just misplaced it, but its here, ok?"

Alex pursed her lips and stared at him, angry being the most gentle of words she could use to describe what a foul mood she was in, and furious being a very, very kind expression for what she felt towards the incompetence of the detective and his partner.

"Well," She seethed, straightening up and crossing her arms over her chest. "You'd better fucking find it, Elliot. I want it in my hand before I take this case to court."

* * *

_"I gave you so many chances. I tried, I tried as hard as you say you tried, and it just hasn't fixed anything. We keep going back to square one, and you and I both know that that's the last place where we can exist… We can't function there. _I_ can't function there."_

_

* * *

_

Turning quickly on her heel she stormed out, blowing past Olivia who was reentering the office space with a bag of MnM's and cup of coffee. She had been smiling upon seeing her friend, but her bright grin was quickly extinguished by Alex's hasty exit.

"Uh… hey Alex?" Her greeting held a hint of confusion as she looked from the ADA's retreating form to her partner. "What was that about?"

* * *

_"Well how do we get out of it?"_

_ "We don't, Elliot. We never do. Don't you see that? We just go in circles. Circles through squares. And… And I just can't do it anymore. You like where you are, it's where you're comfortable, where you're safe, and Elliot, it's fine that you feel that way for yourself, but you just don't see past you, you don't see the rest of us who are really, really damn uncomfortable, we're trying to move forward and you're just… you're just fine where you are."_

* * *

"Just a little worked up about the case." He mumbled. Dear God, he would've killed for some aspirin. He went through another drawer, again, with hot, panicked tears stinging at his eyes.

_

* * *

_

_"But I want you… I want my kids…"_

* * *

"Why's she worked up?" Liv grunted as she plopped into her seat directly across from him, reaching out for the paperwork she had pushed away when she had gotten up to get herself a snack. "She has this in the bag, that journal is all she needs to put that sucker away."

_

* * *

"I know. I know you do, but you -need- your job. It's… It's like it's your wife… and we're all just this ongoing affair… and affairs can only go on for so long without someone getting hurt."_

* * *

Rubbing his eyes had really not helped sooth his aching skull the last hundred or so times he'd done it so much as it had irritated it, but he tried again anyway, willing the pain to just stop. "Yeah, it'd be great if she had the journal."

* * *

"_What do you want me to do? Quit? How would I support us then?"_

_ "I didn't ask you to quit, I never have, I never will. I just wanted you to be here when you came home. Leave your job where it belongs and just… Be here. Don't be stuck in your head. You just can't, Elliot. You've been there so long that it's more a part of you than we are. Hell, you probably know more about Olivia than you do about me. You probably know more about Munch than you do about me, for God's sake…"_

* * *

Olivia's eyes widened and she leaned forward, looking at him with a certain desperation that he found very unbecoming of her. Her voice lowered significantly as she looked at him, trying to find something in his face to tell her he was kidding, and that their most crucial piece of evidence was not, in fact, MIA. "Elliot, what in the hell are you talking about? Why haven't you given her the journal yet?"

"Because, Olivia, I don't know where it is. I've been looking for it all damn day and I can't find it, ok?"

_

* * *

"Kathy, I don't know what to do."_

* * *

"Where did you last have it?"

"I went to pick it up from the crime lab, and I was going to bring it back here but I… I got a call, I had a bit of a personal emergency and I don't know where I left it. It's not in my car, it's not at home, and it's sure as hell not here."

_

* * *

She looked at him, tears in her eyes, face burning with heat and heartbreak and so many things she'd been trying not to feel for the past twelve years. So many damn feelings of jealousy for his fucking job, his partner, his love, and, Jesus, she just needed it to stop._

_ "You can leave."_

_ And that's when the headache had started. He thought it was just his heart leaping into his head, thumping away at an agonizing pace but no, no his chest hurt too much for that to have been the case. No, it was that fucking headache, and it hadn't given him any peace since._

_ "You can leave, El. You can stay comfortable and let us move on, let us get comfortable."_

_ "Kathy, I'll change. Next time-"_

_ "There won't be a next time."_

* * *

Olivia set her coffee aside, no longer thirsty, and leaned back into her chair, shocked and nervous. She did her best to slow her racing heart, thinking that they'd find it, that everything would be ok. … It would be, wouldn't it?

_

* * *

_

_The next time he came home, his bags were packed for him._

* * *

And suddenly, without warning, her temples began pounding.

* * *

/\/\/\

A/N: I hope this chapter made sense. I know it probably got confusing, jumping back and forth as it did. :\ I hope you liked it! :]


	4. Today, That Was Yesterday

**When a Tornado Meets a Volcano**

_Disclaimer:_ Owns nothinnnngggg :[ Also, general notice to readers, this chapter will have more violence, language and angsty rage D: (Enjoy :] )

And (!) thank you reviewers! Your encouragement is awesome

**Chapter Three: Today, That Was Yesterday**

_"Yeah, well, I did too. Apparently things aren't going to work out as well as we had hoped."_

The rest of the walk to her car was a silent one, much like Elliot had expected it to be. He also expected the ride back to the precinct to be short, sweet, and similarly silent. That was where he was wrong.

Once he and his partner had situated themselves in their respective seats, he the passenger's and she the driver's, they sat, unmoving, not speaking, not even doing much of anything except breathe and wait for something to happen. Elliot had hoped that by bringing up Kathy Olivia would realize that he really did need some alone time, and that she would have been kind enough to give in to his one request. He knew that he couldn't be around her, not right now. He couldn't, he -shouldn't- be around anyone. Not when he needed to hit something hard enough to break it. Yet here they sat, in her car, he waiting for her to turn the engine on and drop him off at the precinct, and she sitting, waiting for an answer. An answer from him, from God, shit, from anyone at that point, about what to do next. She couldn't just let him be alone; he was too angry and she knew what he was like when he was too angry. If there hadn't been people in that courtroom earlier… She shuddered to think of what would have become of Hartford if Elliot had had his way with the creep.

She looked over at him hesitantly, biting her lower lip softly, unsure of herself for what seemed like the hundredth time today, a feeling that she had quickly grown to loathe. He, however, didn't seem to notice her stare as he kept looking down at his hands where they lay in his lap, unmoving, unfeeling. This was making her uneasy. He really seemed off this time, more off than he ever had before and, truth be told, it scared her. And it didn't scare her in the way that anything else had, no, this terrified her, for more reasons than one.

After a few moments of contemplating what to do she finally broke the silence and her stare, and instead turned her attention the road as she revved up the car and slowly started driving, not saying a word as she navigated the busy streets with ease.

It wasn't long before they had reached their destination, and for the first time the entire trip Elliot looked up as the car's engine died and Olivia stepped out of the vehicle in front of her apartment complex.

"I thought you were taking me back to the station." He said shortly as he too got out of the car, following after his partner.

"What, so you could fall asleep at your desk after beating yourself up all night?" Olivia scoffed while she opened the door to the large building, doing her best to hold a shaky smile to her face. "C'mon, you can crash on my couch."

Elliot gave her a glare as he backed away from her, looking down the block almost as if to see what his options other than her couch were available.

"Oh for the love of God, Elliot." She snapped, her forced smile dropping as she let go of the door and marched over to her partner. "Stop. Please. Do you really think Cragen will be happy knowing that you stayed in the office all night?"

With a resigned sigh he nodded, allowing her to lead him back towards the door to her building where she, yet again, entered her key code and opened up the big double doors.

They made their way up to her apartment, slower than usual. Actually, she thought, there really wasn't a usual speed for them, as they typically didn't go up to her apartment together. In fact, he rarely came up at all. She shook her head, trying to get the thoughts of Elliot's comings and goings and how she wished there were more of his comings than goings out of her mind and focus rather on the fact that her partner, her friend, needed someone. Or, at the very least, someplace safe to be.

Olivia opened the door and tossed her keys on the coffee table by her couch before taking her coat off and draping it over the back of a chair. She turned to look at her friend, staring at him quizzically as he looked around her apartment as though he'd never been there before, taking everything in as he stood awkwardly in front of the now closed door.

"You uh…" She cleared her throat and pushed up her sleeves. "Want something to eat? I'm pretty sure I have some fruit that hasn't gone bad… yet…"

He shook his head and remained quiet, still standing silently, uncomfortably, as though he no longer knew what to do with himself. This was, of course, not strange to her. After all, he was really, -really- out of it. Olivia sighed loudly and walked back towards him, crossing her arms over her chest and giving him a look of concern, "Elliot…"

She cleared her throat and looked at the floor before bringing her eyes back to his face, "Elliot, none of this is your fault. It couldn't have been helped, ok? You tried your best."

He looked up at her sharply, his eyes red from the long, sleepless nights he'd been experiencing. He was in no mood for her trying to make him feel better. "Olivia, just stop…"

"It's something that could have happened to any of us, El-"

"Olivia, just shut the fuck up!" His eyes widened slightly as she recoiled from the boom of his voice. He really hadn't meant to be that loud, but -damn-, this wasn't what he needed. "I… I shouldn't have agreed to come here. I shouldn't have listened to you."

"I'm only trying to help…"

"But I don't need your help, God dammit! I don't need anyone's help!"

Olivia lightly ran her tongue across her lips, a nervous gesture, as Elliot slid his hands through his hair and turned towards the door.

"I tell you what, you're the last person that'll be able to help me." He shook his head and reached for the door. "I'll see you at work."

"Elliot-" She reached out and placed her hand on his arm, willing him not to go. Unfortunately, this was the last thing Elliot wanted, and he twisted around to face her, wrapping both hands tightly around her firm but tired biceps as he slammed her against the wall.

"Don't you get it?" He screamed, his face inches from hers as his ferocity poured out upon her. "I don't want your help! I don't want you! I don't want to be here, with you! I'm with you all the fucking time, and I can't handle it! I don't want this, Olivia. All I want is to hit the hell out of something and I swear to God the last thing on Earth that it's going to be is you, so just, for your sake, let me get the fuck out of here, all right?"

Olivia's eyes were brimming with tears as the back of her head throbbed and her skin beneath Elliot's hands grew hot from the friction, and she trembled below him, the fear he was striking in her evident on her face. She felt her heart racing in the back of her skull, and she feared that if he squeezed her arms any tighter he'd break them. She nodded quickly, whispering hoarsely, "I-I'm sorry-"

He released his grip on her and took a quick step back, his anger still not dissolved by his beloved partner's words. "You know… This shit that I'm in is your fault."

"Me?"

"Yes!" He fumed, turning and slamming his hand to the wall. "You. You, because you're so fucking beautiful and because you had to be my partner, my partner who I know better than my own fucking wife. If you were a man Kathy wouldn't have given two shits about me being with you more than her. She wouldn't have been jealous and she wouldn't have left because I wouldn't have lo-"

"Wait, wait…" She said, her fear suddenly gone as she righted herself, pushing her shoulders back and glaring at him. "You're blaming me for your marital problems? It isn't MY fault that you decided it would be in your best interest to spend more time bunking out at the station that at home, with your family. I didn't give your wife five kids and a barely there husband to deal with. That was all you."

Elliot's lips turned up into one of those smiles people were afraid of, one that meant he wasn't amused. "Let's not go there."

She laughed sardonically, her eyes narrowing as she stood, chest to chest with him, at her full, not terribly intimidating height. "Oh please. You already went there."

"I'm going now." He growled, shoving her away from him and heading for the door.

"Of course you are." She scoffed, crossing her arms over her chest. "You'll go beat up on a locker because God forbid you fight with someone you care about. God FORBID you try to work it out, no, you'll just head back to the precinct, because your job is your mistress, Elliot, and that's where you run whenever you need comfort, right back into her arms. That's why Kathy left you and that's why you fucked up our case. It wasn't me, it was because your wife decided she was done being the other God damned woman."

And it was like she lit a fuse beneath him with her words. A spark must have ignited inside of him, for he turned and did something he swore up and down he'd never do on purpose.

He turned and laid his fist into his partner.

* * *

/\/\

A/N: Mehhh another chapter I'm not totally proud of. I have a hard time writing men being physically mean to women, so… I don't know why I decided to write this fic. Haha, but I do hope all of you enjoyed! Reviews and constructive critiques are always appreciated.


	5. Aim My Fists At The Drywall

**When a Tornado Meets a Volcano**

_Disclaimer:_ I do not own Law and Order: SVU, or any of it's glorious characters.

**Chapter Four: Aim My Fists At The Drywall**

_And it was like she lit a fuse beneath him with that, for he turned and did something he swore up and down he'd never do on purpose._

_He turned and laid his fist into his partner._

She could feel her heart thumping in her ears as she stumbled backward from the force of his blow, covering her devastated nose with both hands as she crashed into the wall behind her, the obscenities flying from her mouth hardly muffled by the palms of her hands. Elliot stood back, eyes wide as he stared at the blood trickling from between Olivia's fingers.

"Oh-Oh Jesus Christ, Olivia I'm-"

"You rat bastard!" She exclaimed, balling her hands into tight little fists before taking her own swipe at his face. She collided with him, hard, and she winced as her fingers screamed at her to stop abusing them while his hand shot up to the side of his head.

And, God dammit, just like that his headache was back. Pulsing and throbbing almost happily as though it had never left him as she quickly yanked her fist back to herself, shaking it out as though it were on fire. He focused his gaze on her, eyes narrowing, before reaching out and attempting to grab at the collar of her shirt, "Is that how we're going to do this, Liv? Tooth and nail?"

She backed away just in time, nearly falling over herself as she desperately tried to evade his grasp. "Oh hell yes, you son of a bitch! You think you can hit me and not expect an ass beating?"

Olivia swung wildly at him again, partly to regain her footing but mostly because her nose was shooting spits of fire to her brain and she could taste the unappetizing hot blood as it drained into her mouth, and God, it was so sticky and warm and it tasted like it felt, and she'd be damned if he didn't have to endure the same misfortune. He avoided her frenzied shot with what seemed like ease, gripping her wrist tightly before twisting her arm and shoving her to the ground.

Elliot seethed as she writhed beneath him, trying her best to wrench her arm free from him. "Ready to quit yet, Benson?"

"Not unless you're bleeding, Stabler." She winced, flexing her hand and using her free fist to strike him with as much force as she could muster, this time on the other side of his face, just below the eye, an unrestrained blow so full of anger that she was sure would leave a bruise, if not under his pretty blue eyes then most certainly on her already ravaged fingers. Elliot yelped in pain and he let her go, allowing her a swift escape as she scrambled out from under him and stumbled back up onto her feet. He held his head in his hands as he pressed his forehead to the floor, doing his very best not to weep as he ground his teeth together in agony.

The pain seared through him, and for a moment he couldn't see. _Fuck, _he thought_, not again. Jesus, I can't not see again…_ Panic gripped him, a panic he hadn't felt in a long time and he heard her as she skirted away. He reached out blindly, hoping he'd come into contact with her, that she'd see that he wasn't ok.

Of course, she already had seen that he wasn't ok. She saw that he wasn't ok before he had even set foot in her apartment. Obviously neither of them were ok, otherwise this mess would have never begun in the first place. As his hand made contact with her firm but slender calf the pain began subsiding and slowly shapes began to form. He breathed a sigh of relief as his fingers tightened around her leg, and by the time he had yanked her flat on her back once again he could see clearly, or as clearly as one could see through a thick curtain of blistering red.

It had happened so quickly that Olivia hadn't really had time to prepare for it. She thought she was going to have a moment to catch her breath, slow her heart as it dashed along at an unbelievable pace, maybe take a step back and assess the situation, assess and react, but the in the blink of an eye she was on the ground, her very breath stolen away as she collided with the hardwood beneath her. She didn't even have time to retaliate, her back arched as she struggled to regain her ability to breathe, her mouth opening and closing as she gulped for the air that couldn't seem to find it's way back to her lungs. Tears leaked from her eyes as terrifying thoughts of never being able to take another breath flashed through her mind, and that of all things this was the last that she wanted her final memories to consist of.

Elliot slid his hands up her stiffening body until he was able to grab two fist full's of her blouse and tug her back towards him, hearing and ignoring the sound of the black fabric ripping as he did before rising above her and pinning her to the floor as he brought his face close to hers. The touch of his breath, hot and heavy against her burning skin seemed to teach her how to breathe again, and after the eternity of breathlessness she inhaled his oxygen, sliding her eyes closed as she wondered what would happen next.

"Olivia-" His voice cracked as he said her name, and she wondered if his throat was as dry as hers was sticky with blood. She realized numbly that she was arched against him and that she was starting to regain feeling in places she wasn't ready to feel yet, so she kept her eyes closed as a choked sob escaped her. Her hands found their way up his arms and to his neck, she felt his pulse pound beneath the bloodied skin of her fingertips, felt it race at her touch.

"Olivia," He said again, pressing his forehead to hers as his fingertips dug into her sides and she winced, because it hurt, but mostly because he didn't mean for it to. Dragging her nails across his skin, applying more pressure than was probably necessary, she allowed her tears to fall freely, not caring if he saw them, knowing he didn't because she had felt his eyes close as he gulped when her hands found their way to the collar of his shirt.

"This is fucked up, Elliot." She sobbed as his fingertips danced over the few buttons of her blouse that had remained intact from its battle with the floor and Elliot's huge hands. He finished the shirt off quickly, not caring that the last buttons had gone flying as he did, after all, what would she do with a shirt that had ripped at more than just the seams anyway? Her mouth was on his neck, her lips and tongue lightly toying with his hot skin, and her teeth slid slowly and carefully along his stubbled jaw as she carried on in muttering her obscene proclamation under her breath, into his skin, against his ear, against the corner of his parting lips.

He slid a hand under her neck before jerking her up from the floor until she was in his lap, straddling him as though she'd done it thousands of times before, like she was use to this. Quickly her shirt, or what remained of it, was on the floor, and his arms wrapped around her as she clawed at his back, and he felt his skin burn even through his shirt as he pressed her back against the floor and wrapped her legs around him. She groaned through her hiccupy weeping as her hands traveled down to the hem of his pants where his shirt still was neatly tucked in and she felt, against whatever good judgment that she had at one point possessed, them tug it free from the belted waistline.

"Elliot-"

"Shut up." He had one hand in her hair as his forehead pressed against hers and the other hand at his tie that he was desperately attempting to loosen as his shirt slid up his back and the now trembling woman against him was having her way with his shirt. Payback, he thought. He helped her along in her conquest of his shirt, tearing his tie off as he pressed against her, licking his lips when she groaned softly. His nose brushed lightly against hers and she yelped, tossing her head back and smashing his hand between her head and the floor.

"Owe, fuck, sorry-"

"No I'm-"

"Your nose is-"

"Broken." Olivia, voice softer than it had been all damn day, finished with a gulp as she finally allowed her eyes to slide open. Her eyes met his and she felt his hand run from her neck down to her chest and taut stomach, she saw the hunger and the anger and the hurt and betrayal and prayed that that wasn't all that was inside him, because God she wanted him and she had for a long time and she needed him to want her too but this… This was just…

He breathed her thoughts into existence, "This is so fucked up."

She didn't keep her eyes open as she pulled him down to her, pressing her lips against his for the first time and letting him feel all of the years that she had kept inside her. It hurt and it burned and it didn't change the fact that she was broken and he was bruised, and her mouth tasted like blood, hot metal and tears, and maybe some of it was his, but they couldn't keep from going back, over and over as the night wore on and their shredded clothing lay beneath their tired, aching bodies.

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-/-/-/-

A/N: In case you have not read any of my other fics, I will inform you all that I don't write smut. Not that I'm against it or don't want to, I just can't. It's a terrible condition. But, nevertheless, I hope you all enjoyed! Feedback is much appreciated.


	6. She Resuscitates Me

**When a Tornado Meets a Volcano**

**_Disclaimer:_** I don't own blah blah blah. Also, warning, this chapter is just as if not more uncomfortable than the last, and I may end up changing this story to an **M** rating because I was thinking about it and I thought, 'You know, this is particularly violent.' So... Yes. If you think it should be rated **M** let me know. Please.

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**Chapter Five: She Resuscitates Me**

As they lay there in the middle of the hallway, surrounded by their scattered clothes and dried drips of blood they made no sound other than the shallow breaths that escaped them as they breathed in time; in, out. In, out. Her eyes were closed and so were his, and they were there, together, not speaking, just lying on their backs with their closed eyes staring up at the ceiling. She licked her lips softly and crossed her arms over her chest, only now becoming aware of her nakedness and just how fucking _awkward_ it felt. God, it wasn't suppose to feel this awkward and _God_ her face and chest and her back and legs weren't suppose to hurt this bad…

But they did. They did hurt and it was awkward and she felt the tears welling up again and she willed herself not to cry because it made her nose hurt like a bitch. Her breath hitched in her chest as she forced the tears back, the tears that could only make this more awkward and the pain worse.

He heard her when her breathing changed, heard her and wanted so badly just to turn and look at her because he knew she was crying, or at least, she was about to. Instead he didn't, he didn't because his right eye was puffy and it hurt now to open it, and he didn't because it was so damn awkward…

Maybe if it had lasted longer, maybe if she had come it wouldn't have been. Maybe if he hadn't hit the hell out of her and she hadn't been bleeding all over their lips while he was inside of her it would have been better, and now it wouldn't be so still. So quiet, except for her now labored breathing as she struggled not to break down and bawl.

"Elliot?" She choked out, raising one of her hands to cover her eyes as she took a sharp breath in, tears threatening to spill over at any second. She bit her lower lip, hard, and it started bleeding. But then again, that could have been from him. From earlier. God, earlier…

And as the metallic taste trickled into the back of her mouth she lost it. She couldn't hold back anymore, and she let her tears flow freely as she sobbed, loudly, and as she began trembling she found herself in his arms again. His arms, his arms, which connected to his hands which formed fists that connected with her face and she swallowed more blood and she remembered-

"Elliot," She gasped between sobs and hiccups, "I… You need to… to set… to s-set my- God… ugh, dammit-"

He nodded, not that she could see. Her eyes were closed and her back was to him if they hadn't been anyway, and he gently eased her up into a sitting position, still silent. Still so. Fucking. _Awkward_.

"I… Should we… Do you… Here." Elliot snatched up his shirt, since his wasn't torn at the seams, and draped it over her shoulders before gently taking her hand in his, the hand that was covering her tear stained eyes and prying it away from her face. "Olivia, here, put it on please."

"I don't want to wear your shirt." She whispered, sliding her hand into the long, rolled up sleeve anyway. He swallowed hard as he reached for her other arm, the one firmly planted against her chest, lightly running his fingers over her wrist. "Other arm. Please?"

"Don't… don't look." Olivia sniffled, looking up at him for the first time since… since before… Her eyes met his and he nodded, holding her gaze as he guided her arm into sleeve. "I'm not looking."

She quickly wrapped the shirt around her, as tightly as she could because, Jesus, she didn't want him to see her. She didn't think he had seen her… during, no, they'd kept their eyes closed. Hadn't they?

"Can you… put something on?" Her voice was soft as she averted her eyes, doing her best to calm herself down. Honestly, why was she so upset? This… This was Elliot, her partner, her best friend, her, what? Lover? No. No, not lover. Then what?

He was doing his best not to ask himself the same questions, so he just nodded and grabbed his dark slacks, sliding them on quickly before turning to look at her. Without noticing he was doing it he let his fingers brush through her hair, and he was glad when she didn't jerk away. He licked his lips softly, they still tasted like her, trying to think of something to say, something that would be soothing and would help all of the God damn tension dissipate…

"Olivia." It wasn't a statement, not really. At least, he hadn't meant it as one and she didn't hear it as one anyway. It was more of a soft pleading, barely a whisper, and he ran his fingertips down her quivering jaw. "Olivia, you should lay down… if I'm going to set your nose… All right?"

A moment's hesitation, distracted by his hand on her face because this time it was gentle, the fire inside him had died down, and she was too busy contemplating that to really register what he was saying.

"Olivia?"

"Yeah?"

"Lie down?"

Oh. That was it. She nodded slowly and he eased her back down, gently, slowly, and she felt that, strangely, this was the least awkward thing that had happened in the past ten minutes. He looked at her, almost sadly, definitely apologetically, and brushed a few strands of hair from her face. "This is going to hurt, Liv."

"Yeah." She sort of laughed, but it sounded more like a really harsh cough. "Not that it doesn't hurt now, or anything."

And he sort of smiled as he brushed his thumbs over her cheeks. "God, Olivia, I'm so… I'm so sor-"

"Apologize later," She hadn't meant to snap, but God, it hurt and she knew it would only get worse, "or I'll cry again and you won't be able to set my fucking nose."

He nodded. He hesitated.

"Damn it, Elliot, if you can break it you can fix it!"

Snap. Crackle. Pop. "FUCK!"

Her hands were at her nose again, for the second time that night, and she jolted upright, busting her forehead against his as she sat up.

"Shit!" "Jesus!"

The tears stung at her eyes as she looked at him, really looked at him, he and his tear stained, bruised cheeks and his messed up hair and the bite marks, (Oh my God, bite marks?) and she couldn't help but laugh into her hands, and then wince, and then chuckle as lightly as she could.

"Oh… God, El, I… I have cotton balls in the bathroom, under the sink. I need… Ugh, I need to stop the bleeding. Again."

He nodded and got up, wordlessly, made his way into the bathroom, quietly, and returned with the bag of the soft, fluffy wisps of cotton. She took two after wiping her bloody hands on his shirt (and he rolled his eyes), handed them to him, and she let him doctor her wound, even though he was responsible for it in the first place.

Once he was done he looked at her, really looked at her, and he marveled at her cheeks, stained with bleeding mascara and blood, her puffy nose and her bleeding lip (did he do that?) and he couldn't help but laugh, because he felt so fucking awful and if he didn't laugh he'd cry.

Olivia smiled, though it wasn't a happy smile, and she reached out and took his hand in hers. "Told you this was fucked up."

"So fucked up."

She looked down, licked her lips softly, and thought about it. She thought long and hard about how she'd been in love with him all these years and how she always imagined… this… to be different, and she thought about how she had always hoped it would never happen because she loved him and he loved Kathy and his kids and she really, honestly, just wanted him to be happy. Or at least to be ok. She wanted that for him.

"Stop thinking about that shit." He whispered quietly, reading her thoughts straight off of her face. "You can think about it later."

"What do I think about now?"

He looked up at her, let his eyes meet hers again and they stared and they contemplated.

"A shower. And some ice for your face."

He'd helped her into the shower (still not looking), gotten her some ice and some pajamas, which for her were just a tank top and some shorts, but she just seemed happy to get the hell out of his shirt, and helped her with her lip and her nose and her black eyes before helping her settle onto her bed. After all that was done he stood, awkwardly. Again, awkward. Feet bare. Chest bare, except for the bite marks and scratches and bruises. _Awkward._ Wasn't it?

"Do… you want me to go?"

"No." She spoke too quickly and winced inwardly. "No. Please…"

"Ok." He smiled. Almost. Then he too, took a shower.

And, because apparently her night could get worse, there was a knock at the door.

"God, what now?" Olivia mumbled, gingerly getting out of bed and padding along to the door, not looking at the clothes and the tiny specks of blood that still lay on the hardwood of the hallway. She glanced through the peephole and her breath caught, again.

"Shit!" She winced, looking around desperately for her badge as she called out to the door, "Just a second!"

"Ma'am, this is the NYPD, we're responding-"

"Yeah, I saw you, just hold on!" There. Still clipped to her pants. She scoffed and straightened up, heading back to the door and throwing it open with a bright smile that really fucking hurt her to wear. "Hi! I'm uh, Detective Olivia Benson…"

She flashed her badge at the stunned looking patrol cops. "What can I do for you two officers?"

The first officer, a short, red headed man with a line of freckles across his nose blushed and cleared his throat, "We uh, received a call, Detective Benson, about a… domestic dispute…"

Olivia turned bright red and bit her lip, careful not to make it bleed again. "Right… Right, of course you did… Everyone in this building is very concerned with everyone else's business. I mean, well being."

"Well…" The second cop, tall, lanky, dark features, said, "A-are you all right? You uh… don't look so hot."

"Look, this… is so embarrassing." She chuckled. Chuckled. This wasn't fucking funny, and here she was, chuckling. "I… I had a bit to drink earlier and uh… so did my date and we thought uh… that we'd try things that were… a little… out of the ordinary and I uh… in the process… _Slipped_… you know, _off_- and I fell on the coffee table, that's what happened to my nose… b-but he knew how to set it, and we stopped, clearly and… And I'm fine uh, I didn't catch your names, I'm sorry…"

"Thomas." The red head said quickly. "And this is officer Rodriguez. Um… Well ma'am, Detective, if… if you're all right…"

"I am."

"I guess we can… We'll just be…"

"Going." Rodriguez finished. Thomas nodded. Awkward.

"Ok. Well, thanks guys, for checking up. I'm really, so, SO sorry for the… misunderstanding… You honestly don't know how embarrassed I am."

"I uh, think we have an idea." Rodriguez smiled, or tried to. "Right. …Detective Benson, you do know to report any… um, incidents… And we know that you know that so… We won't say anything about this…"

"I really, REALLY appreciate that." She laughed, her smile still making her cheeks ache.

"Goodnight, Detective." Thomas nodded at her before nudging his partner and starting down the hall. Olivia nodded again at Rodriguez before he too made for the exit, and she closed the door slowly, but not too slowly, and slid down to the floor. "Oh God…"

She looked up to see Elliot, clad yet again in his clothes, minus the tie, shoes and socks, smiling at her from where he leaned in the bathroom doorway. Her lips turned up into a grin and she began to snicker, quietly at first, until he joined in, and their quiet giggles grew to boisterous laughs.

He made his way over and sat next to her, not touching her, because laughing didn't mean she was ok, but he turned and smiled at her anyway. She reciprocated in kind, adding a light punch to his arm along with her grin. He licked his lips. She bit hers. They stared. Again.

"What do we do now?" She whispered, smile still on her face but not in her eyes as she leaned her head on his shoulder and wrapped her arms around her knees that she had pulled up to her chest. "What do we do with… with this?"

"We deal with it." He slung his arm over her shoulder. Carefully. "One way or another. Is… Is that ok? For now?"

"Yeah. For now." Olivia closed her eyes and let one hand drift to his where it lay on her arm. "You can apologize now."

Elliot pulled away slightly, removing his arm from her grasp and shifting so that he could look at her, see how little she looked in naught but her tank and her shorts. He smiled. A real smile.

"Ok."

And he brushed his lips against hers, not rough this time, not really sexual either, and of all things, not _awkward._

And, with parting lips and a soft sigh, she accepted his apology.

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-/-/-

A/N: Yes. I am aware that this is a really, REALLY weird, really long chapter, and I hope it doesn't feel rushed or crammed. I don't think it is, but it's late and I don't really think very well at this time of night (morning) anyway. Please let me know what you think. :]


	7. As Long As the Wrong Feels Right

**When a Tornado Meets a Volcano**

_Disclaimer:_ I don't own blah blah blah.

A/N #1: Thank you to all of the reviewers and those who have favorited this story/me! It means a lot to me. :)

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**Chapter Six: As Long As the Wrong Feels Right**

They didn't sit together for much longer after that, instead she had pulled away from him and found herself sitting, pressed tightly into the corner opposite of him, against the wall. Olivia curled into herself with her knees pulled up to her chest, eying Elliot contemplatively as he sat, legs stretched out towards her, against the door. This was the part where they talked, she thought. The part that she wasn't looking forward to.

"Shockingly, you don't look too busted up." He croaked, smiling slightly as he picked at a loose string on his shirt. "Not a lot of bruising."

"Unlike you." Olivia slid a hand through her hair slowly, letting her eyes linger on that spot just below his baby blues that was rapidly shifting from a slight yellow to a deep purple. She grinned softly as he rolled his eyes at her, "Yeah, thanks."

"Don't mention it... You know…I… Hm."

Elliot looked up, "What?"

"Nothing. I just… Wanted to know what happens next."

He nodded slowly, allowing his gaze to fall, yet again, to his seemingly unraveling shirt. "I don't know, Olivia."

God, this was going to be so difficult.

"Well… I don't think… It should happen again. I KNOW it shouldn't."

"Which part?"

Her fingers twitched slightly and she glared down at them, as though that would make them stop.

"All of it. Tonight… Tonight should just not be repeated."

Elliot bit his lip, angry at himself for even allowing the events that had led up to this moment to have happened, and angry that he hadn't at least tried harder to make those moments… Well, better. Less… Strange and hasty, less rough. He wished he could have done that for her, he wished he could have at least done that so that the memory of them finally being together wouldn't have to be a bad one. "I agree."

"Good." She nodded, swallowing softly. "Good."

Then they were silent, looking anywhere but each other. At the walls, at the floor, at the loose strings on a shirt or the dried blood on the hardwood that they had neglected to clean up, anywhere. Just not at each other.

"Olivia…" Elliot sighed quietly, lacing his fingers together and resting them on his chest. "Will you… Will we be ok?"

She thought about that for a moment. Would they? She knew she could forgive him, after all, he had tried to leave before he had hit her. He had warned her, yet she still egged him on. Yes, she could forgive him for hitting her. She could forgive him for dragging her to the floor and pinning her beneath him, all of that was easy. Forgiveness was so simple. It had been done already… It was the forgetting that would give her trouble. Forgetting how terrified she had been, for the first time, of her partner instead of for him. Forgetting the look in his eyes as he swung at her, as he held her, as she let him have her. Olivia shrugged, because honestly, she didn't know.

"I hope so." She whispered, looking at her aching fingers. "Do you think we will be?"

"I think…" He said, slowly, hoping not to word anything the wrong way. "We've gotten through other tough times… And we've only gotten through them together… So… Yes. I think we will be ok. I'll be ok if you're ok. You're all I really care about, if you're hurting then I'm hurting, and if you don't want to try and make sure we survive this I'll understand."

They were quiet again. She was thinking, wondering if she did want to make this survive, their friendship, their partnership, and he was just hoping, praying that she would. He watched her, his eyes scanning her face as she broke out into a smile.

"Hey…" She laughed softly, bringing her eyes up to meet his. "Remember that time, a couple years ago, when you had to choose between helping me and saving a hostage, and you chose me?"

Elliot scoffed, almost insulted that she would assume he didn't think of that day often, let alone remember the incident. "Of course I remember that."

"And remember how you didn't think we should work together, because if it came down to it I'd do the same thing for you? And you thought that we were too attached, that it'd be a bad idea if we cared more about each other than the job?"

"Yes, Olivia, I remember all of that. Why does it-"

"And," Olivia cut him off, her smile growing ever so slightly. "How you said that me and the job were about the only things you had anymore? And how you said we couldn't be partners if we were going to take care of each other first and foremost?"

"Liv. I remember. What's… What's your point?"

She shrugged slightly. "I think that… You were an idiot."

He furrowed his eyebrows, looking at her incredulously before he started laughing, and soon after she was laughing too.

"Well thank you, Olivia. I'm glad you felt that way. If it makes you feel any better, I think I was an idiot too."

"Yeah well…" She sighed, her chuckles dying down as she leaned her head heavily against the wall. "I was an even bigger idiot. Transferring like I did. That… That was a bad decision."

"It set me straight. I realized I didn't want to work with anyone else but you."

"Exactly, a-and the same with me. So… I'm just… I'm just thinking, you know… We couldn't lose each other then. We can't do it now."

"Yeah, except the situation is… um… a little… different."

"Yes, I know, we hadn't fucked then."

Elliot looked at her again, a slightly guilty look on his face. "Yeah. To put things bluntly."

"I was in love with you, though." Her sigh leaked out shakily through her teeth. "I had been for a long time by then, and if that isn't an emotional investment that could influence any decisions I made pertaining to you then I don't know what is. This… This whole tonight was… it was wrong. It was a mistake, the past few weeks have just been riddled with so many God damn mistakes, and if we can't work through this one then I think the past twelve years have been a big fucking waste."

He smiled at her, marveling at the way she thought about things, "Well, we can't throw away twelve years."

"Even if you could, I couldn't." She laughed. "I don't have anything but this job… And you."

"Right…" Elliot paused as he gulped softly. "You know I love you too, right?"

"Yeah. But it's not the same kind of love."

"No." He shook his head, almost saddened by the revelation and that she saw it even more clearly than he did. "It's not."

Olivia licked her lips softly, looking tiredly into his eyes as she did her best to smile. "But that's ok. It's better that way. It's how it should be, you know? Yours is the right kind of love."

And they were quiet again. It was comfortable this time, though, and so it didn't bother them. Instead they basked in it, knowing that, even though they would still be a little fucked up that they'd be ok. So they smiled at each other tiredly, the events from the previous hours catching up to them and wearing them down.

"Liv?" He whispered as he watched her close her eyes, her breathing steady, as one's who is about to fall asleep would be.

"Hm?"

"What are we going to say on Monday?"

She laughed softly, not opening her eyes as she curled up a little bit tighter in her corner. "You'll figure something out, hot shot."

He smiled slightly as she fell asleep, happy that she had chosen to remain partners with him, to work through this, because God, he couldn't lose her on top of everything else. And his eyes closed as he drifted off into sleep, smiling slightly at all the figuring he was going to have to do the next day.

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A/N: Most difficult chapter to write ever. Please review if you enjoyed, or even if you didn't!


	8. Isn't As Crazy As It Seems

**When a Tornado Meets a Volcano**

_Disclaimer:_ I do not own any Law and Order stuffs. (Shame, I know.)

Thank you, everyone, for all of the kind reviews, I'm glad to have served you. :D

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**Chapter Seven: Isn't As Crazy As It Seems**

They had almost decided on not going in on Monday. In fact, they had planned out an excuse for at least Elliot, after all, Cragen knew as well as anyone that the guy needed a break after what had happened in court. Olivia, well, figured she could just call in sick that morning.

Of course, being dedicated to their jobs, neither of them followed through, and on Monday morning Olivia walked in, five minutes early, clad in a turtleneck and more make-up than she had probably worn in all of her years at the precinct combined.

And, sadly, this didn't go unnoticed by her coworkers.

"Jesus, Liv," Munch said, his voice thick with concern as he shot up from his desk after catching a glimpse of the black-eyed beauty, "did you have a rough night last night?"

"Firstly, that's none of your business, and secondly, no. I didn't."

He leaned down to get a closer look at her as she sat down at her desk and began pulling files out of her drawer, hoping he'd take the hint and leave her alone.

"Olivia, wha- Holy hell, did you break your nose?"

"Yes, Munch. I did. I tripped and fell into my coffee table, ok?"

He didn't believe her. It was obvious by the way he furrowed his eyebrows together in the way someone who was looking out for you does when they think you're covering something up. And it wasn't that she didn't appreciate his concern, but she really didn't need to explain how she had gotten her battle scars.

"Um, look." He said quietly, looking at her very seriously. "I don't believe you. But you know that. I also think you can take care of yourself, so I'm going to trust that whatever happened was… Something that you had control of. I know you would have reported some scumbag if he had done this to you, after you had taken him down, of course so… Just… Be careful, ok? And let someone know if I'm wrong and you do need… you know, some help."

She didn't know if she wanted to be flattered, irritated or laugh out loud. Well, at least he was right. She could take care of herself, and she did have the situation under some sort of control, however now Munch most likely thought she was into some kinky stuff, and she assumed that by the end of the day everyone else would too.

"Hey Munch, you interrogating my partner or something?"

'Saved by Elliot' Olivia thought, smiling to herself as she turned to look at her friend. "Munch was just expressing some concerns he had. No need to worry."

Munch raised an eyebrow as he straightened up and crossed his arms over his thin chest, giving Elliot the once over as the burly man walked to his desk. He too must've had a rough night. Possibly one that was worse than Liv's. The older man raised an eyebrow as he put two and two together and shook his head at the two detectives.

"Good God." Munch sighed, rolling his eyes and heading back over to his own desk. "You two are so… Never mind. I'll keep my thoughts to myself."

"Yeah, right." Fin scoffed as he walked in. "I WISH you'd keep your damn thoughts to yourself. What'd you get him started on now, El- Oh, shit. What the hell happened to your face?"

Elliot smirked and took a seat at his desk, rolling his shoulders back as he looked up at Fin. "Eh, nothing I couldn't handle."

Olivia snickered slightly at the appalled look on Fin's face, doing her best to keep her head down as she worked on some of the papers she had left unfinished over the weekend.

"Too bad for him he couldn't borrow some of Olivia's make up," Munch piped up, straightening his tie as he, too, pulled out some unfinished work. "Not that it helped her much."

"Oh for the love of God, Munch!" Olivia groaned, shooting him a glare.

Fin rolled his eyes upon seeing her similarly battered face. "Oh, dear Jesus. You two better hope Cragen don't ask you two for some face time today, or you'll both be screwed."

"Again." Munch muttered under his breath. Fin smirked in agreement and took his place at his desk across from his partner.

"Oh shut up, Munch." Elliot snapped, trying his best to give the two across the aisle a 'not in the mood for your bullshit' look. Not that they worked, after all, he was so damn tired after the past few days that he could hardly muster up the strength to look moderately threatening. He looked over at his partner and smiled slightly, and he wasn't sure why but he looked to her in an effort to see if this was unfounded, and instead found that she, too, was smirking like someone with a dirty little secret.

"You seem a little hostile, El." She laughed, dipping her head down again and running a hand through her dark hair, determined to actually get some work done. "Maybe you should take the day off."

His reply was cut short as the door to Cragen's office flew open, and their beloved captain stood tiredly in the doorway, "Elliot, Olivia, my office please."

Elliot looked at Olivia and shrugged slightly, "Think we're in trouble?"

She pulled a dumbfounded look onto her face, furrowing her eyebrows and almost appearing worried, "Why would we be? By the way… uh… what happened to your face?"

"I was chasing a tornado." He sighed, doing his best to look somber, despite the twinkle of an impending laugh glittering in his eyes, as he stood from his desk. "What happened to yours?"

A smirk found it's way to her lips and she too rose from her desk. "Nothing I can't handle."

"I wouldn't expect anything less from you."

Cragen rolled his eyes, "Seriously you two. Hurry up."

So, with a quick, comforting smile that best friends often gave each other, they did. And while Cragen was upset by their roughed up appearances, and though he didn't believe their stories about what had happened to each of them that weekend, he let them get back to work with nothing more than a condescending look and a warning.

Not that they minded.

It was nothing that they couldn't handle.

* * *

A/N: And so it ends! I hope you all enjoyed :] Also, I may end up doing a sequel to this, as my friend (who, bless her soul, has been proofing this when available) gave me an excellent idea that would be fun and have a happier ending. :]


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